"Criticizing Art" Chapter 5: pg. 143-154

This second section of Chapter 5 describes four main categories/theories of art: realism, expressionism, formalism, and instrumentalism.  Realism is the belief that nature should be the reason for making art and art should be held to the standard of nature.  This theory is one in which artists try to accurately portray the world they see.  An example:  

Chuck Close, Nancy, 1968

 Expressionism caters more towards the artist's feelings and expressions than to the object(s) depicted in the work.  In this theory of art, the handling of the materials tends to be more apparent than in realism.  Though this type of art is not just about the objects/subject, it is not entirely about form either.  

Formalism is art about art.  It is primarily concerned with form and divorcing artwork from life and culture.  An example: 

Agnes Martin, Untitled, 1960

Instrumentalism is art that is done for a higher purpose, to get across a point or message.  It recognizes that art is not just aesthetic.  Political and activist art are good examples of instrumentalism.  

Critics often have a particular theory that they believe in and they tend to write their criticism from this point of view.  It can be more helpful, however, to look at pieces of art from the viewpoint of the theory that they have been created in.